Vasiliy Lomachenko last competed in December 2021, defeating Richard Commey.

After spending much of the year defending his country Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion, pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko is allegedly eager to return to combat.

Todd duBoef informs Kevin Iole that “Hi-Tech” has contacted Top Rank and plans to lace on the gloves “as soon as October.”

Undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney teased his own October comeback earlier this month, but with George Kambosos Jr. activating his rematch clause, I doubt we’ll see Lomachenko (16-2, 11 KO) leap right back into a championship battle, unless Kambosos elects or is tempted to stand aside.

That leaves us with no choice but to speculate about who will be Lomachenko’s dance partner.

My money’s on Jeremiah Nakathila, who brutalized the remnants of Miguel Berchelt earlier this year and had already worked with Top Rank for his unsuccessful 130-pound championship challenge against Shakur Stevenson. So long as Nakathila doesn’t go into deer-in-headlights mode, he’ll be a terrific method for Lomachenko to shake off the rust.

About Vasyl Anatoliyovych Lomachenko

Vasyl Anatoliyovych Lomachenko is a professional boxer from Ukraine. He previously held the WBO featherweight championship from 2014 to 2015, the WBO junior lightweight title from 2016 to 2017, and the combined WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and Ring magazine lightweight belts from 2018 and 2020.

Lomachenko is one of the most successful amateur boxers of all time, with 396 victories and one loss, which he avenged twice. He earned a silver medal at the 2007 World Championships, a gold medal at the 2008 European Championships, consecutive gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, and consecutive gold medals at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships. He is well-known for his quick hands, timing, accuracy, inventiveness, agility, defense, and footwork.

In 2013, Lomachenko made his professional debut. He equals Saensak Muangsurin’s record for earning a world championship in the fewest professional fights, becoming the WBO featherweight champion in his third fight. Except for his debut, all of his professional fights were for world championships. In his second professional bout, he made his first main event appearance.

Throughout his career, he has received several media accolades. He was named Prospect of the Year by The Ring and ESPN in 2013; Boxer of the Year by CBS Sports in 2016; Boxer of the Year by HBO Sports in 2016 and 2017; and Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring in 2017.

Lomachenko is regarded as the world’s sixth best active boxer, pound for pound, by The Ring, and ninth by ESPN as of July 2022. ESPN ranks him as the world’s second best current lightweight, The Ring and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board rate him fourth, and BoxRec ranks him fifth.